Category: sea Lion Attacks

A fourth sea lion attacked has now occurred at the San Francisco Aquatic Park. In December, a man was bitten on the leg in what can only be described as a highly unusual incident. Since that first incident in December, several other ones occurred, including the latest which happened in January.

Sea lions are known to be relatively peaceful animals that do not bother swimmers. Lately, there has been a string of incidents involving swimmers getting bit at a place called the Aquatic Park Cove. It is known to be a feeding ground and gathering place for sea lions.

One woman says that in her 50 years of visiting the aquatic park of San Francisco’s north coast, she has never heard of such attacks. The attacks are undoubtedly bizarre and have even baffled biologists and park officials. One theory is that there is a lower supply of herring, which is a fish the sea lion eat. This may make sea lions more territorial and aggressive.

Another theory is that an unusually aggressive sea lion is responsible for all the attacks. The woman who was bitten in the latest incident was swimming not far from shore when a sea lion attacked her. She says that the sea lion chomped down on her knee and tried to pull her underwater. A retired medic who was also swimming managed to help the victim swim back to shore and provided care until she was transported to a hospital. Signs now warn swimmers of the risk of sea lion attacks while swimming in the popular swim area known as the cove.